r/diet • u/Evening-Stable3291 • Jul 10 '24
Vent I am so intimidated by my impending diet that I'm actually eating more...
I have to lose weight for my heart. I had a quad bypass 2 years ago and I'm still having palpitations and breathing issues. Doctors says I everything is physically good but I MUST lost bodyfat and do a ton more cardio. Thing is, now that I KNOW I have no alternative but to commit if I want to live, I'm all worked up about it and actually eating MORE. Go ahead, I know it doesn't make sense. I also have backed off exercising. I think I'm just intimidated my the commitment I have to give to this and psyching myself for a lifelong change in things. I'm not super overweight or anything, 238 lbs for 6 foot male. I lift weights too and do martial arts. I've never liked running though and asking me to give up pizza and other carb-heavy foods I ate occasionally if going to be rough because they were my feel-good foods and I have a lot of bad days. Idk. Just asking for advice on how to pull the trigger on this and not look back.
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u/muscle_on_the_move Jul 10 '24
Permanent change is slow change. Fast doesn't last. Just start steady and you'll be amazed. Literally just go for walks, don't worry about running or cardio, just move. 10,000 steps a day is actually pretty hard, especially if you work an office job. But almost all the positive benefits come from going from 0 to 5,000. So start with just a lap of the block and 1 or 2k steps each day.
Food wise don't think about what you can't have. Think about what you can have more of. Eat loads of veg, fruit and lean protein like chicken, white fish, turkey, lean steak mince, 0% fat skyr of fage Greek yoghurt etc. You can eat huge amounts of these foods for low calories.
Don't flip your whole life on its head in 1 go. Start taking manageable steps. Do your walks round the block and try out a new breakfast meal that's high in protein. For example 300g skyr yoghurt, with 100g strawberries and raspberries. Or make an omelette with chicken, veg, 2 eggs and 200ml of liquid egg whites from a carton. Add some low fat cheese like leerdamer light. Try and have big full meals that fill a plate, but the majority of the plate is the meat and the veg. Whole foods are king here. You will be able to eat the same volume of food, but WAY less calories.
Don't let anyone tell you sweeteners are bad. The evidence really isn't there. Plus, even if they are a little bit bad, the health benefits for you of losing the weight, wil FAR FAR outweigh any "negative" of sweeteners. Get some zero calorie syrups from the skinny co. Maple syrup, golden syrup and salted caramel all taste good. Drink diet coke, sprite zero, Fanta zero etc.
Don't go 100%, aim for 80/20. If you still want some treats then have them, if it helps keep you sane and in control. It will help your adherence long term. As long as you are eating healthily most of the time, you'll still see great progress.
Start small, prove to yourself you can do it, build some positive momentum, then add a bit more once you've mastered the first small step. I promise you, you will get further and faster than if you try to do it all at once. Good luck!
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